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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23346883">The Artino Device</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/PageMage/pseuds/PageMage'>PageMage</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Renegades - Marissa Meyer</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Ace's helmet comes into play, F/M, Gen, after archenemies, before supernova</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-03-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 09:15:19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,562</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23346883</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/PageMage/pseuds/PageMage</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>This takes place directly after Arch Enemies. Nova Artino is distressed about her uncle Ace Anarchy's capture and must find a way to deal with her emotions.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Nova Artino | Nightmare/Adrian Everhart | Sketch</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>15</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Artino Device</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This is kinda old but I figured I'd save it since I was very proud of how my first real fanfiction turned out!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>On one summer night of no particular significance, the crickets and cicadas harmonizing through the humid air and the stars glowing, a little downtown suburb rested in a summer serenity. Out of nowhere, a crash split the air. It was a door slamming shut- the sound echoing off the abandoned houses. It was a run-down area, most houses becoming overgrown with plant life and paint peeling off their siding. To Nova Artino, this was usually a comforting sight, however not in the present mindset.<br/>
Nova was angry at not one thing, but everything. The resistance that she knew, the painstaking plans she had made, everything it seemed, had all been ruined in a single day.</p><p>One terrible, horrible, fateful day. </p><p>Sure, she’d gotten what she wanted. But without Ace Anarchy, what use of the plan did she even have? Nova was stuck with a stolen helmet, a broken household of villains, and her fragile identity hung in the balance of one caged butterfly.</p><p>She laughed coldly to herself in the silent household. Great, she thought This is GREAT. </p><p>Having no idea of what to do next, the girl paced, reviewing her options. Or rather, lack of options. It seemed that every asset she’d had disappeared into thin air. In the middle of her flustered pacing, her eyes drifted to a couch in the living room that, just yesterday, she’d sat in with a boy.</p><p>	Nova’s face reddened and she groaned in frustration. She couldn’t think about him right now. Honestly, to the plan, he was the least of her worries. Or at least as she tried to convince herself.</p><p>	Before he was locked up, Ace told her to “use the boy” but how was she supposed to do that when he was getting closer and closer to finding her out? Nova bit her lip in angry contemplation. Then again, if he’d trusted her this long, maybe…</p><p>	Nova felt a twinge of guilt in the depths of her stomach, like the bit of morality she had left was punching her in the gut. She couldn’t do that, couldn’t hurt Adrian right now. He was too pained over poor Max. I mean, what if he didn’t get better? Nova couldn’t think about it right now, it hurt her too much, although she refused to admit where.</p><p>Besides, he wasn’t really a threat anyway. What good would a drawing pad be in swift hand to hand combat? She hated to admit it, but she could probably handle him in a fight. Well, she knew she could handle him in a fight.</p><p>To get her mind off of him, Nova moved into the kitchen, looking for something to distract herself. Her eyes moved over the coffee and tea on the counter. She’d only tried coffee once and had hated the taste, wondering why people even consumed such a bitter liquid. It’s like they needed it in order to wake up.</p><p>Her thoughts drifted back to the last time she slept, remembering the grogginess in waking, how awful that had been. And then seeing Adrian smiling down at her surprised self, notepad in hand, and a handsome shirt that he hadn’t been wearing when she’d seen him last. She could even recall the dimples on his face that-<br/>
Nova shook her head from the memories, leaving the kitchen in a haste. What was wrong with her? Maybe… maybe Nova just needed fresh air. That was it. </p><p>Nova rushed out of the house back, hearing the cicadas grow in volume as she stepped outside. To any passerby, it would be a beautiful night. It was a new moon and the stars shone above Gatlon. To Nova, however, this sight was insulting. How could it be so beautiful out when her own life was falling apart? Frustration becoming too much to handle, Nova broke open. She yelled into the night, her body shaking as it held back tears. </p><p>The pressure of everything- her anarchist family, Uncle Ace’s capture, secret identities, and even falling in love with a boy she could never be with was killing her and she didn’t even know it. All Nova Artino wanted was a solution. Some sort of advantage or key that would fix things. She wanted Ace back. Heck, she wanted her family back. She wanted change, and for the first time, she felt like she was powerless to bring it. What if she was arrested? Interrogated? What if she was executed?</p><p>Without consent, her eyes began to fill with tears. Thank her powers that no one was awake at 2:30 in the morning but her. Struggling to hold back the tears, Nova crumpled onto the porch chair.</p><p>Think, Nova Jean Artino, she commanded herself, but all it led to was more tears of hopelessness. Hating to admit it, crying felt good. Really good. Nova hadn’t really sobbed like this before. Taking a shaky breath and holding herself, Nova allowed herself a moment to clear her head. The night truly had healing energy to it. Smiling to herself through tears, Nova was suddenly glad that her true alias was Nightmare.</p><p>As the tears lessened, Nova breathed in the night air to calm herself. She was about to get up and walk around the street when a light turned on in a house down the lane, one of the few other occupied houses. Afraid of being discovered, Nova scurried inside.</p><p>She had barely stepped in when a glint from somewhere met her eye. The closet… where Ace’s helmet was hidden. Not very well apparently. It was a wonder that Adrian hadn’t discovered it when he’d visited. Nova creaked open the door and squatted down to take a look at it. A pang of sadness hit her heart as she took in her father’s work. He was truly a master at his art, the curves and details all working in cohesion to create a beautiful crown, not even considering what it could really do.<br/>
A sudden thought popped into her mind. But no… that wasn’t how it worked, was it? Nova took the helmet in her hands and walked over to a mirror hung on the wall by Honey. It didn’t look too big for her… curiously, Nova placed the heavy helmet atop her head.</p><p>Looking in the mirror, it seemed as if two pieces of a puzzle had come together. Perhaps it was just her father’s work joining with his own daughter that made her feel so empowered, but Nova felt an energy from the helmet seep into her. While it had looked big before, Nova couldn’t help the feeling that the helmet had self-adjusted to be just her size. </p><p>She also couldn’t help but admit that she looked really cool wearing it as well.</p><p>Stars… if only she had Ace’s powers. Her youth was an advantage that the prodigy lacked. Nova reached up to take off the helmet and then stopped. It just felt too right for her. If no one was going to be up, what was the harm?</p><p>Of course, Nova ignored the obvious that anyone could pop in and see her in the helmet, which would raise a LOT of questions. But at the moment, Nova couldn’t think completely clearly. It was like the feeling of using her powers again after a long break. Intoxicating power… the mind just reeled.</p><p>Nova hopped up the stairs to her room, starstruck into a much better mood...</p><p>Which was abruptly ruined as she stepped into her room to find monarch butterflies just everywhere. Somehow a window had been cracked, and now a swarm of the furious insects was upon the jar, struggling to open it with their wings.</p><p>Butterflies, what useless insects.</p><p>The helmeted warrior roared, reaching with her hands to try and hit as many butterflies as she could get her hands on. The butterflies fought back by blinding her with their wings and buffeting her clothing. As the swarm well… swarmed around her, Nova began to lose her sense of direction.</p><p>With everything she’d been through tonight, Nova had enough. Filled with righteous fury (and a fair bit of hormonal fury as well) Nova threw her arms out, feeling her power rush through her fingers and explode outward.</p><p>	The shock of her powers being ejected from her led Nova to fall against the wall, hitting her head in the process. Winded, Nova rubbed her head and looked around to see… nothing. No butterflies. Well, in the air anyway. Winged nuisances littered the ground of her room, all motionless with sleep.</p><p>	But this couldn’t be- Nova couldn’t project her power! She looked down at her shaking hands, still shocked with the reaction.</p><p>	“What in the-” she gasped. At that moment it hit her. Ace’s helmet was used to magnify his power, so what if… it had magnified her power? What if she could do it again?</p><p>	Giddy with this revelation, Nova began to laugh. It began slowly, and then bubbled in her throat as her exuberance and relief grew. Captain Chromium may be invincible, but no mortal was invincible to sleep except for Nightmare! She could do it. If she timed it right, Nova alone could take over while the entire renegades council was asleep!</p><p>	Tightening her fists in glee, Nova beamed widely to the motionless room. With this new revelation at her disposal, she could practically fix Gatlon in her sleep.</p>
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